Biking In Australian Clare Valley, Riesling Country
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtjST1Eaq0A
Month: March 2009
Gambero Rosso and Slow Food Go Their Separate Ways
Vini d’Italia, the influential Italian wine guide known for its ‘tre bicchieri’ (three glasses) that it accords to the best Italian wines, will in future solely be published by Gambero Rosso. The collaboration with Slow Food ends after 22 years. The first Vini d’Italia guide appeared in 1987. Vini d’Italia traditionally appears at the end of October. In addition to > Read more …
Museum Real Cigales Reserva 2004
Museum Real Cigales Reserva 2004 – Spain, Cigales (20/3/2009) In the west of Spain lies Cigales, a lesser-known wine area near the city of Valladolid in the region of Castilla y Leon. In this region, the most and best vineyards are at an altitude of 700 to 800 meters. The large temperature contrast between day and night, that can reach > Read more …
Q4 2008 Worst In Champagne History
Official figures of the CIVC (Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne) from early February confirm that 2008 was a difficult year for sales of champagne. In its press release, the CIVC speaks of “a break after a long period of growth”. The European sales of champagne fell last year by 6.6%. In the press release an increase in December is > Read more …
How to open a bottle of wine in a restaurant
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Q713C3uTs
Belgian consumption of Champagne remains stable
The Belgian consumer remains loyal to champagne, says the Champagne-agency Belgium. Last year was the third best year overall for shipments of champagne to Belgium. A total of 9,910,158 bottles of champagne were imported in Belgium, a decrease of 0.4% in comparison with 2007, the best year ever for champagne shipments. Only 1999 was an even better year, with more > Read more …
Fifteen percent of all winebottles use screwcaps
The Italian packaging giant Guala says that fifteen percent of all wine bottles today use screwcaps. This reports Decanter. Last year Guala sold 25 percent more closures than the previous year. European growth was especially strong. In 2008 an estimated 2.5 billion screwcaps were sold worldwide, compared with four billion synthetic and eleven billion cork stoppers.
Schorpion Sparkler Best Belgian Wine For 2009
The organization of Flemish Professional Sommeliers elected the sparkling wine Schorpion Zwart Brut Bruisend (‘Schorpion Black Brut Sparkling’) as best Belgian wine for 2009. The wine is made by resident of Hasselt, Limburg Wilfried Schorpion (44) with grapes from a vineyard of two hectares in Vliermaal (Kortessem). The vineyard is planted with twothirds Chardonnay grapes; the rest are Pinot Noir > Read more …
Clavel La Copa Santa 1997-2001
In early February I served my co-members of my tasting group Amovinum a barrel full of surprises – without pity of course: as always we tasted everything double blind. One of the flights was a five year vertical of La Copa Santa, a well known wine of the French AOC Côteaux du Languedoc (in Languedoc-Roussillon), run by the ever amiable > Read more …
French bulk winemarket collapses
Figures from Viniflhor (Office National Interprofessionnel des Fruits, des Légumes, des Vins et de l’Horticulture) show that the French market for bulk wine was very bad in 2008. The French sold last year 25.3% less bulk wine in volume and 2.45% in value. Bulk Wine accounts for 21% (in volume) of total French wine exports (except sparkling wines). French exports > Read more …